10/11/2007 @ 6:00AM

Fifteen Experiences In The USA Before You Die

White-Water Rafting In West Virginia

The old coal mining district of New River Gorge once produced more coal than anywhere else in the world. Today, as one of the world’s great white-water rafting destinations, it’s often called the Grand Canyon of the East, especially in the spring, with the runoff of the melting snow pack in the tall mountains. The really challenging white water run is north of the New River in the Gauley River, which turns into a roaring beast in September and early October when millions of gallons of excess lake water is released from Summersville Lake.